Think your lawn is finished growing for the season when winter comes around? Think again. As the weather turns cooler, your lawn is actually thickening and spreading. Turf roots naturally go into a growth spurt in the fall as they convert nutrients into food reserves. In fact, the average lawn’s density can increase by as much as 20% during the cooler fall months if there’s enough moisture and fertilizer present (and if the soil isn’t too compacted).

Setting the Stage for Better Growth

There are several steps you need to take during the fall to protect your lawn during the cold months of winter. The following tips are what we recommend:

• Elimination of any fall weeds to avoid competition with your grass.
• Opening of the soil with core aeration to relieve soil compaction and help roots thicken.
• Application of a heavy dose of fertilizer to encourage new root growth.

In addition to the above three steps, your fall mowing practices should include lowering your mowing height. As temperatures fall, so should your mower deck. You’ll have less winter injury and a quicker green-up in the spring if you have your mowing height down to 2" to 2 1⁄2" by Thanksgiving.